Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-06-24
Editor Of the Transcript:

Editor OF the Transcript:
There appears to be considerable spec
ulatiOn among the people Of The county
concerning the question of voting bonds
for the improvement Of the water power
on the Mississippi river at Little Falls:
as to the effect it will have upon the tax
payers. Shall we stumble en such a
question or will we consider in a
proper light? If it will be conceded
that the proposed Improvements, when
completed, are Improvements, the whole
question is easily settled. Will sny
company expend 100000 Hn the water
power at Little Falls and fill ia uliliz;.
the power: Can such all. enserrrisr
move anil leave all surrounding, mediate
and immediate, dormant and inactive?
1t seems that any person should be able
10 answer. The question seems aired
to have been answered from every part
of the county. All concede that under
such pressure Little Falls will rapidly
be pushed forward to 8 very nice little
city. Several manufacturing plants will
early I've put in and in the near futuse
will ..ripen into great industries for the
county. We will then have commer-
cial centre within the limits Of our own
county. That being acknowledged by
US all, let us act accordingly. The tax
question at once assumes favorable
aspect, We are calling into activity the
very nature with which we are surroun-
ded and are compelling it to assist in
carrying out what we have already
undertaken. Who will deny for a
single moment that real estate in Little
Falls will double in value Immediately
when it is definitely known that the
improvements will lie made and will be
taxed accordingly? This increase in
valuation will contribute in the payment
of taxes. There will be an Increase in
value of all real estate in reach Of Little
Falls in proportion to the distance from
the village. In the village there is
already an increased activity in rea!
estate, even on the prospective improve
ments. For several years there has
been no market value in lots. Since the
contemplated improvements have Deen
proposed there is d ready sale for lots al
from % to Is per cent increase on the
valuation of six months ago. thus i,
may be seen that to vote the bonds will
add to the assessed valuation Of the
county before amy improvements are
even made, an amount in the village of
Little Fails alone equal 10 lis present
assessed valuation. Of course without
the Improvements following this would
soon drop, but the Improvements will. az
a matter OF course, fellow aud are sup-
ject TO taxation. 1t is sal. to say ;h:.t
within three years the a>sasst.u valuation
OF the village OF Little Falls will be in
creased $40, 600, about one t'iD OF he
present valuation 0i The County. i;.e
lalproren) en,s will continue ana as :. NJ
year succeeds an Other, The village u.
Little Falls Will he paying more ana
more Uf The ia.>va, but We i,,'> :lol III
liberty to rest here. w have thcannua!
expense Of the COUNTY to pay, which, III
1885, we're u lew dollars icoss ,ii;n ,x2U,-
go. Tie expense VIA c',Iuin,ie to J.: III
least thai anAvuut in the future. 10 v,j;~
.ilc county bonds viii impose upuu ,Au
County TIA Interest to bo paid Thereon.
each year li!r sum OF $3.50, together
with The S2O,u0v annual cXpvr><'s, ~lj
make ii total ui S2i 1ol. annual cxt:uSc,
1T our present rats III luHalio;,. Assam
lug, as II Is prpprc To do, thai l.r
improvements "itl, within three gears
add one illn to The assc>seG va, i'atlon u!
the county, it will pay. one film Of Tbs
interest Oh the bonds which is c;;uaj 10
$3.50. stopping here, The improvements
will I've debtor to The county $1,000, bul il
contributes also one filth to the pay,nrn,
ot The annual EXPENSES OF $780, 900, which
equals $1,000, Thus we actually gain
$4,000 each year. Morrison county is
already bonded for about $40 900. The
Increased valuation will contribute to
the payment Of thai al,ount in the same
proportion that it does TO the annual
expenses. Further, Morrison county has
very poor court house and no jail. In
the near future it will be necessary to
build good court house and Jail. Then
again the Improvements come III to
assist in building. An estimate has
been made, based on the present assessed
valuation of the respective municipali-
ties OF the county to show What amount
Of the bonds each will have to pay in
thirty years from the date of issue.
ANY estimate made, based on the pres
ent valuation OF the county as to the
amount Of bonds that Will be paid by any
particular municipality Is certainly
erroneous. No person will contend That
thirty years from now there will be the
same number oftowns in the county that
there now are. There are several unor-
ganized townships in which there are
less than dozen settlers. When the
bonds are to be paid, every thirty six
square miles will be an organized town
ship and not q foot Of government lapd
will be in the county. All that is now
government land and railroad land will
be improved and undera high state of
cultivation. Every person that has been
In the county FIVE years or more can
Judge by what he has seen in that time.
Railroad land is beng taken up faster
than eyer and If the proposed improve,
ments are MADE, still more rapidly will